Road maintainer



J y 1 1929. 4 w B. HARGLEROAD 1,721,075

ROAD MATNTAINER Filed Jan. 24, 1928 3 Shets-Sheet l y 15, 1929- w. B. HARGLEVROAD' 172L ROAD MA'TNTAINER Filed Jan. 24, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fjwuentoc E1 I WBZzZ/ kmd July 16, 1929. v w. B. H/ARGLEROAD ROAD MATNTAINER Filed Jan. 24, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gw'nto c 6 W5 Hag/swam? v atbozmq Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. HARGLEROAD, OF HASTINGS, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR T WILLIAM B. I-IARGLEROAD, JR.

ROAD MAINTAINER.

Application filed January 24, 1928. Serial No. 249,157.

This invention relates to road working inachinery and particularly to road maintainers. The general object of the invention is to provide a road maintainer of such construction and form and of such flexibility that the road will be thoroughly planed and the dirt spread into holes or depressions in the road, thus making the road very smooth after being worked. i Another object is to provide a road main.- tainer having blades so disposed that the advanced blade will cut away the dirt at a. point in the center of the road, throwing it out in each direction, this dirt coming in contact with the earth being thrown in by blades disposed at the middle of the machine'and the rear blades again acting to change the direction of the earth and spread it toward the outside of the machine, thus effectively pulverizing the earth and filling up any depressions in the roadway.

A further object is to provide means whereby the angle of the blades to the surface of the road may be changed, the adjustment of the blades permitting the blades to be set either well forward at the lower edge, thus acting to scrape the road or permitting the blades to be set back at the lower edge in case of wet surfaces.

A still further object is to provide a machine of this character which will do efficient work at relatively high speeds.

A still further object of the invention to improve the structure of my prior application for patent, Serial No. 157,591, filed December 28, 1,926, and allowed September 12, 1927, of which this application is a continua.- tion in part.

My invention illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a road maintainer constructed in accordance with my invention Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

. blades 11.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4- 1 of Figure 1;

' Figure 5 is a perspective view of the forward blade assembly removed; Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through one of the forward blades;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating the method of connecting the blades with the braces and further illustrating the use of removable bushings;

Figure 8 is an enlarged plan view of the rear end of the rear blades;

Figure 9 is a rear elevation thereof; Figure 10 is a section on the line 1010 of Figure 9;

Figures 11, 12 and 13 are detail views showing the mounting of the auxiliary blades upon the rear and intermediate blades.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the road maintainer includes a pair of blades 10 which are disposed at an angle of about and diverge rearwardly. These blades are disposed at the middle line of the machine and in advance of the remaining blades thereof. Disposed behind the blades 10 and extending laterally inwardly and rearwardly are a pair of These blades extend behind the rear ends of the blades 10 and being spaced therefrom. The rear ends of these blades 11 are spaced from each other to form a rela tively large opening through which dirt may pass. These blades are preferably likewise set at an angle of 90 to one another and converge rearwardly. Rearward of the blades 11 are disposed a pair of rearwardly diverging blades 12 which are preferably set at an angle of approximately 90 and have their forward inner ends but slightly spaced from one another. All of the blades 10, 11 and 12 have angle irons 13 bolted thereto at the rear face thereof in such manner that the horizontally projecting flanges 14 of the irons are 90 arranged slightly below the vertical centers of the blades. Extending transversely across the machine in advance of the blades 10 is a draft bar 15 which is connected to a frame 16 upon which the blades are mounted, as hereinafter described, by means of any suitable flexible connection 17. Draft connecting elements 18 are attached to the draft bar.

The frame 16 is provided with dovvnbent ears 19 which are pivotally connected to angle irons 20 secured upon the horizontal flange 14: of each blade structure, the pivots 21 being closely adjacent the upper surface of the angle iron, so that they are disposed substantially at the vertical center of the blade. Flexibly connected at their forward ends to the ends of draft bars are longitudinally extending side members 22 having angular braces 23, the downbent end portions of which are pivotally connected to angle braces 24 mounted upon the blades 11 adjacent the forward or outer ends thereof. Adjacent their rear ends, the bars 22 are similarly connected with the outer or rear ends of the blades 12 by braces 24:, 2%. Links 25 are pivoted at their forward ends to the frame 16, the pivotal connection preferably being in the form of an eye bolt 26. These links extend rearwardly from the eye bolts 26 and have at their rear ends angularly bent portions 27, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to angle braces 28 mounted upon the flanges 1 1 of the angle irons 13 of the blades 11 adjacent the rear or inner ends of these blades. Pivotally con nected to the links 25 adjacent the rear ends thereof are links 29, the rear ends of which are pivotally connected to the forward or inner ends of the blades 12, as indicated at 30, these connections being similar to those employed between the links 27 V and the blades 11.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that each blade is pivoted adjacent its opposite ends for oscillation, so that its front or working face may be presented to the road at a desired angle, and it will also be obvious that any of these blades may be elevated without disturbing the position of the ren'iz'iining blades, thus preventing skips when one of the blades happens to pass over a hard raised surface in the road.

Each blade 10, 11 and 12 has a further pivotal connection including a means for adjusting the blade and maintaining the blade in adjusted angular position. In each instance, this pivotal connection comprises a brace 31 to which is secured a segment 32. The segment 32 has a downwardly project-- ing arm 33 pivoted at its lower end, as indicated at 3 1, to an angle bracket 35 secured to the flange 1 1 of the angle iron 13 of the blade. Likewise mounted upon the pivot 34- is a lever 36 having latch mechanism, generally designated at 37, for coaction with the notches 38 of the segment. The lower end of this lever has an angular foot 39. which is riveted or otherwise secured to the flange 14, so that when the lever is adjusted, the angle of the blade is adjusted. Since the pivots 3 1 are disposed at the approxin'iate vertical center of the blades, the adjusting nim'ement will be fairly rapid and permit adjustment through a considerable angle, the top of the blade moving in one direction as the bottom of the blade moves in the opposite direction. In the case of the blades 10, the braces 31 are secured to the frame 16, while in the case of the blades 11 and 12, these braces are secured to the longitudinally extending side members 22. In each instance, the pivotal connection is at the approximate center of the blade. The eye bolts 26 which pivotally connect the forward ends of the links 25 with the frame 16 provide a means for con-- necting the inner ends of the links with the side bars 22 at points approximately transversely aligned with the eye bolts. The pivotal connections between the links 25 and 29 are likewise in the form of eye bolts, the eyes ll of which are disposed inwardly and provide pivotal mountings for the end of a connecting link 42. The pivotal connections of the rear ends of the links 29 with the blades 12 are in the form of similarly mounted eye bolts pivotally connecting the ends of a link 41-3. By means of the links 40, 42 and l3, the blade structures are held against transverse movement, without in any manner interfering with the independent vertical movement hereinbefore referred to. To further assist in preventing disarrangement of alignment by transverse movement, the pivot eye bolts 26 at each side of the frame 16 are connected with the eye bolt 11 at the opposite side of the frame by flexible elements 44, such as chains.

The structure hereinbefore described is the same as that described in my prior application hereinbefore mentioned with the exception of slight changes in the n'iethod of mounting the blades 10. In the present structure, I have provided a continuation of the angle irons attached to the blades 12 at the rear ends thereof. These extensions incline upwardly and outwardly and are each formed in the horizontal flange let thereof with longitudinally spaced openings 46 for the passage of spreading pins 17. The openings are formed in the flange 14 adjacent the vertical flange and to the vertical flange is attached by bolts 48 a plate 419 having pairs of aligned spaced openings 50 for the reception of an angularly bent head 51 formed upon the upper end of the pin. The pins, when new, have their angularly bent ends engaged in the upper holes 50 of the plate 49 and after wearing may be shifted to the lower holes, thus prolonging the effective life thereof.

The forward end of at least one of the blades 12 is adapted for attachment of a short blade 52 adapted to extend across the opening 53 between adjacent forward ends of the blades to prevent the passage of earth and gravel through this space and cause the same to be deflected to one side or the other of the maintainer. The rear end of each bladefll is provided with means for attaching thereto an extension blade 54, the rear end of which is adapted to slightly overlap the forward end of the aligned blade 12, so that all material collected by the blades 11 will be'directed to a common side of the machine. This blade 54: may be employed with either blade 11, so that the dirt is directed to aselected side or may be entirely omitted, so that it is directed to both sides. The construction employed as a means for attaching the blades 53 and 52 is preferably that illustrated in Figures 1l to 13. In these figures, I have shown the angle iron 13 as spaced from the rear .face of the associated blade 11 or 12 by inserting therebetween at a point spaced from the end of the blade a wedge-shaped shim strip 55. This causes the angle iron and blade to be spaced at their rear ends and into this space, the inner end of the blade 52 or 54 may be inserted. Bolts 56 are provided for securing the blades in position.

It will be seen that the forward blades it) constitute rudder blades and act to stabilize the course, while the angles of the other blades act against the other side and cause the differently angled blades on each side of the machine to balance against each other. The flexible couplings connecting the right and left sections of the machine permit a floating motion so that the maintainer will properly clean itself. The saliently angled blades 10 act to cut the dirt at a point in the center of the road. throwing it out-ward in each direction. This earth is thrown against the blades 11 and mingles with the dirt being thrown in by these blades and is carried toward the cen ter of the machine and passes rearward between the blades 11'. Here-the direction is again changed. At this time, the earth has been thoroughly pulverized and is spread outward toward the outsideof the machine by the movement of the blades 12, so that all pockets, holes or depressionsin the road become properly filled. By virtue of the flexi bility and length of the machine, the road is thoroughly planed and inasmuch as the dc prcssions are filled up, the road is left in a very smooth condition.

The adjusting levers make. it possible to angularly adjust the blades 1O, l1 and 12 to suit various conditions. Thus, the blades may be set'well forward at their lower edges and thus will act to cut off the surface of the ground in the manner of a grader blade or they may be set straight up and down, thus acting to scrape the surface ofthe ground or they may be let back at their lower edges in case the machine is operatingover wet surfaces and thus the machines become praetically a float. Because of the length of the machine, the blades will not dig into soft spots in the ground and throw the earth from these soft spots onto the high spots. B cause of the construction before specified and the flexibility before mentioned, it is possible to do eflicientwork with this machine at speeds ranging from one to fifteen miles per hour.

Removable steel bushings -18 are preferably disposed at all wearing flexible oints as, for example, at the pivotal connections of the blades to the various elements associated therewith, so that these bushings may be removed and replaced to take up play occasioned by wear. A suitable bushing for this purpose is illustrated in Figure 7.

Bushed bolts are prefe ably provided for securing the braces 31 in position, as this structure not only permits compensation for wear but lends flexibility to the completed structure, allowing it to more closely engage the road surface over which it is passing.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 2-- i 1. A road maintainer comprising a transversely extending draft bar, rearwardly converging separate blades, forwardly converging separate blades arranged rearwardly of the first named blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of corresponding blades of said pairs to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, said means permitting said blades at either side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades at the other side and means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independentlyof any of the blades.

2. A road maintainer comprising a transversely extending draft bar, rearwardly converging separate blades, forwardly converging sepa ate blades arranged rearwardly of the first named. blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of corresponging blades of said pairs to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, said means permitting said blades at either side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades at the other side, means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any of the blades, and connections between the means connecting the inner ends of the blades to the draft bar permitting independent rise and fall of any of said blades without corresponding movement of the other blades.

3. Aroad maintainer comprising a trans.

versely extending draft bar, a pair of forwardly convergent blades flexibly connected to the draft bar, rearwardly converging separate middle blades, forwardly converging separate rear blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of each lateral pair of middle and rear blades to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, means flexibly connecting the inner ends of each pair of lateral blades to the corresponding end of a forward blade, said means permitting the middle and rear blades on each side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades on the other side, and means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any Other blade. d

4. A road maintainer comprising a draft bar, a plurality of blades disposed on each side of the draft line of the machine, said blades being disposed at angles to each other and to said draft line, medially disposed forward blades, means flexibly connecting each set of lateral blades to the draft bar and to the forward blades, means flexibly connecting each set of lateral blades to the opposite set of lateral blades and means for selectively tilting the first mentioned blades.

5. A road maintainer comprising a draft bar, a plurality of blades disposed on each side of the draft line of the machine, said blades being disposed at angles to each other and to said draft line, medially disposed forward blades, means flexibly connecting each set of lateral blades to the draft bar and to the forward blades, means flexibly connecting each set of lateral blades to the opposite set of lateral blades, and means for selectively tilting any of said blades.

6. A road maintainer comprising forward convergent leading blades meeting at their inner ends, a draft bar to which the meeting ends of said forward blades are flexibly connected, rearwardly convergent middle blades separated at their inner ends from each other and upon which the first named blades discharge, forwardly converging rear blades separated at their inner ends from each other and upon which the middle blades discharge, longitudinally extending irons connected to the outer ends of the draft bar and flexibly connected to the middle and end blades, irons flexibly connecting the inner end of each rear blade to the inner end of the middle blade on that side, means flexibly connecting the inner end of a middle blade to the corresponding forward blade on that side, means flexibly connecting the middle and rear blades on one side to the middle and rear blades on the other side, angular members attached to said longitudinal irons between the corresponding middle and rear blade, levers mounted upon each middle and rear blade, and racks attached to the angular nvanovs members and over which said levers operate, the levers having means for engaging said racks and holding the blades in any set position.

7. A road maintainer of the character described including a pair of converging forward blades meeting at their inner ends, a plurality of reversely angled blades disposed one behind the other on each side of the draft line of the machine, longitudinally extending bars to which the last named blades are flexibly connected in a manner to permit each of said blades being tilted in a plane at right angles to its length and to permit the longitudinally extending bar and the blades connected thereto on one side of the machine being shifted rearward of the blades and bar on the other side of the machine, means flexibly connecting the inner ends of the blades to permit said shifting movement, a draft appliance, means flexibly connecting the forward ends of the longitudinally disposed bars to said draft appliance, and means for manually tilting each of said blades rearward of the converging forward blades independently of any other blade.

8. A road maintainer of the character described including a pair of converging forward blades meeting at their inner ends, a plurality of reversely angled blades disposed one behind the other on each side of the draft line of the machine, longitudinally extending bars to which the last named blades are flexibly connected in a manner to permit each of said blades being tilted in a plane at right angles to its length and to permit the longitudinally extending bar and the blades connected thereto on one side of the machine being shifted rearward of the blades and bar on the other side of the machine, means flexibly con necting the inner ends of'the blades to permit said shifting movement, a draft appliance, means flexibly connecting the forward ends of the longitudinally disposed bars to said draft appliance, and means for manually tilting each of said blades independently of any other blade.

9. A road maintainer comprising a trans versely extending draft bar, rearwardly converging separate blades, forwardly converging separate blades arranged rearwardly of the first named blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of corresponding blades of said pairs to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, said means permitting said blades at either side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades at the other side, means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any of the blades, the adjacent ends of the forwardly converging blades being slightly spaced from one another and a short blade interchangeably attachable to said forwardly converging blades and when attached to either thereof constituting a continuation extending across the space between the blades. I

10. A road maintainercomprising a transvorsel y extending draft bar, rearwardly converging separate blades, forwardly converging separate blades arranged rearwardly of the first named blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of corresponding blades of said pairs to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, said means permitting said blades at either side to rise and fall independently of the correspondingblades at the other side, means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any of the blades, each of the rearwardly converging blades substantially aligning with the forwardly converging blade at the opposite side of the maintainer and a blade attachable to either of the rearwardly converging blades at the rear end thereof forming a continua tion overlapping the aligned forwardly converging blade at the forward end thereof.

11. A road maintainer comprising a transversely extending draft bar, rearwardly converging separate blades, forwardly converging separate blades arranged rearwardly of the first named blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of corresponding blades of said pairs to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, said means permitting said blades at either side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades at the other side, means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any of the blades, the adjacent ends of the forwardly converging blades being slightly spaced from one another, a short blade interchangeably attachable to said forwardly converging blades and when attached to either thereof constituting a continuation extending across the space between the blades, each of the rearwardly converging blades substantially aligning with the forwardly converging blade at the opposite side of the maintainer and a blade attachable to either of the rearwardly converging blades at the rear end thereof forming a continuation overlapping the aligned forwardly converging blade at the forward end thereof.

12. A road maintainer comprising a transversely extending draft bar,rearwardly converging separate blades, forwardly converging separate blades arranged rearwardly of the first named blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of corresponding blades of said pairs to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, said means permitting said blades at either side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding bladesat the other side, means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any the blades, connections between the means connecting theinner ends of the blades to the draft bar permitting independent rise and fall of any of said blades without cor responding movement of the other blades, and means attachable to the rear end of either of said middle blades for directing ma terial collected by said forward and middle bladesto the outer face of a selected rear blade. I

13. A road maintainer comprising a transversely extending draft bar, a pair of forwardly convergent blades flexibly connected to the draft bar, rearwardly converging separate middle blades, forwardly converging separate rear blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of each lateral pair of middle and rear blades to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, means flexibly connecting the inner ends of each pair of lateral blades to the corresponding end of a forward blade, said means permitting the middle and rear blades on each side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades on the other side, and means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any other blade, the outer ends of each of said rear ends being dentate.

14:. A road maintainer comprising a transversely extending draft bar, a pair of forwardly convergent blades flexibly connected to the draft bar, rearwardly converging separate middle blades, forwardly converging separate rear blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of each lateral pair of middle and rear blades to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, means flexibly connecting the inner ends of each pair of lateral blades to the corresponding end of a forward blade, said means permitting the middle and rear blades on each side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades on the other side, means for tiltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any other blade, each of said rear ends having an angle iron secured to the rear face thereof, the angle irons being continued beyond the outer ends of the blades and having apertures formed therethrough, pins extended through said apertures and adapted to engage the ground with their lower ends, and a plate for clamping said pins to the angle bar.

15. A road maintainer comprising a trans versely extending draft bar, a pair of forwardly convergent blades flexibly connected to the draft bar, rearwardly converging separate middle blades, forwardly converging separate rear blades, means connecting the outer and inner ends of each lateral pairof middle and rear blades to each other and to the ends of the draft bar, said means permitting tilting of the blades, means flexibly connecting the inner ends of each pair of lateral blades to the corresponding end of a forward blade, said means permitting the middle and rear blades on each side to rise and fall independently of the corresponding blades on the other side, means for t-iltably adjusting any one of said blades independently of any other blade, each of said rear ends having an angle iron secured to the rear face thereof, the angle irons being continued beyond the outer ends of the blades and having apertures formed therethrough, pins extended through said apertures and adapted to engage the ground with their lower ends, and a plate for clamping said pins to the angle bar, the pins at their upper ends having angular heads, the plate having a plurality of openings adapted to interchangeably receive each head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

WILLIAM B. HARGLEROAD. 

